What I Have Learned Being Poor

Sharing some of the lessons I've learned over the past year or so when money has been lacking. Personally, I think everything I've learned is good advice that I hope nobody ever has to learn on their own.

My grandfather used to say, “It’s no shame to be poor, but it’s damned inconvenient.” I never fully understood that saying until recently. I’m not ashamed that I’m poor. I know how and why I got here and know how to get back to not being poor...it’s just taking longer than I thought it would. Being poor is inconvenient though, it’s worse than inconvenient, but I can’t really use the words to describe it in this setting. I’m the type of person who tries to learn something from any experience and being poor has taught me a thing or two.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that people do judge. They don’t necessarily judge you for being poor, but they judge what you do when you’re poor. They also seem to forget that you weren’t always poor and assume that you always will be. I will go into more detail with all of this in later writings, so stay tuned.

Another thing I’ve learned is the game of ‘Would You Rather’ takes on a whole new meaning. Imagine having only $1.37 and needing things like people food or toilet paper or cat food. What would you spend your last $1.37 on?

I have learned some things that I’ll use even when I’m not poor.

The first is that oatmeal is a very versatile food and isn’t just for breakfast. I was particularly surprised at how tasty Cajun oatmeal is. Also, with some oatmeal, peanut butter, soy sauce, and broccoli you can make a very good Thai oatmeal. I have figured out how to make pancakes that aren’t all that bad with a minimal amount of ingredients.

I’ve also learned more about people in general.

Those who have the least are the ones who give the most. Beyond that, those who have the least give what they need if you need it too and those who have the most give what they don’t need even if it is of no use to you.

The biggest thing I have learned throughout all of this is that it is very easy to become bitter and to feel entitled. The lesson here is that those feelings don’t help, and if you hold on to them, nothing is going to change. Gratitude is the only thing to counter those feelings. It doesn’t matter if you are one of those who have a lot, or one of those who has a little...even if you have to work hard at being grateful, do it. It is well worth the effort.